Gun-sight.



J. Y. BASASELL & F. 0. BLENKN-ER.

GUN SIGHT. APPLICATION FILED FBB.15,"1906.

No. 846,385. PAT'ENTEID MAR. 5, 1907.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Y. BASSELL .AND FRED O. BLENKNER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

GUN-SIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed February 15, 1906. Serial No. 301,15 7.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN Y. BASSELL and FRED O. BLENKNER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin andState of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gun-Sights,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in gun-sights.

he object of the invention is to provide a gun-sight so constructed andarranged as to meet the many requirements necessitated by the varyingvisual needs or desires of different gunners.

The more essential object is to so construct the sight that it may bereadily attached to the block of an ordinary front sight and withoutsuch alteration as would require the services of a mechanic.

It is also within the province of the invention to merely produce thesight as a globe, ring, and open sight or to combine with these featuresinterchangeable and reversible sight-pieces and a hinged reflector forilluminating the sight-centers.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, and efficient and onein which the parts may be so positioned or adjusted as to produce atpleasure most any form of gun-sight that the gunner may demand.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of thenovel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment ofwhich is described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings,wherem Figure 1 is a side elevation of one improved sight, showing aportion of the gun-barrel on which it is mounted. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View.Fig. 4 is a plan view, the hood being removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofa modified form, the hood being removed. Fig. 6 is a front elevation ofthe same. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view taken on the line X X of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of the modified form. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view of the same, showing in dotted lines the hood in itsglobe position and the reflector raised; and Fig. 11

- is an elevation of one of the sight-pieces.

We will first describe the front sight, with which our improved sight isdesigned to be used, although it is to be understood that it may be usedwith other forms of front sights. This is known as a fixed sight, suchas is in general use on military rifles, and is arranged at the frontend of the gun. The block of the sight (indicated in the drawings by thenumeral 1) is brazed or otherwise immovably secured to the gun 2. Thisblock is provided with a longitudinal slot 3, extending the entirelength thereof and receiving the leaf 4, which projects above the blockand forms the sight-piece. The leaf is held in the slot by a pin 5,passing transversely through the block. By simply knocking out this pinthe leaf may be removed.

Our improved sight comprises a base 6, shaped so as to be of neatappearance and conforming as practically as possible to the shape of theblock 1. This base is provided with a longitudinal central recess 7 ofsuch form and contour as to snugly receive the block -1. The recess 7 iscut in from the front of the base, but terminates some distance from therear thereof, having only such a length as to snugly receive the blockand cause the front face of the base to lie flush with front face of theblock. For holding the base in position we provide in one side thereof aset-screw 8, which is adapted to impinge the side of the block 1.However, if desirable, a transverse opening 9 may be provided in thebase, so as to register with the pin 5 and the latter driven out and alonger pin 10 passed through the base and the block. The base may thusbe fastened in place in either way without the assistance of a mechanicor gunsniith.

The upper surface of the base is formed with a concaved depression 11,which extends transversely between flanged guides 12, the latterextending along the outer sides of the base. This depression curvesslightly below the upper surface of the block 1 and runs the entirelength of the base. The guides receive the angular shoes 13 of acircular hood 14, whose inner periphery conforms to the transversecontour of the depression to form a perfect circle. The hood 14 has alength substantially the same as the upper surface of the base and isarranged to move longitudinally in the guides 12, the rearward movementbeing limited by a transverse stop-plate 15, set flush with the base atthe rear thereof, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. For preventing creepingor accidental displacement of the hood due to the recoil of the gun orother causes we arrange along the side of the base a countersunkspring-latch 16, the point of which projects over and through the guide12, as best shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 9.

The oint ofthelatch16 is adapted to engage suita le notches 17 in thehood 14 to hold it in position, as shown in Fig. 3. By swinging thelatch slightly outward the hood may be freely moved on the base orentirely removed therefrom.

' It is a well-known fact that the visual requirements of shooters vary,and for meeting these requirements in a general way the herein-describedsight is designed. For in stance, one shooter may require a globe-sight,which he can readily obtain by positioning the hood as shown in Figs. 1and 3, the sightleaf 4 standing well into the same. Another may desirethe effect of a ring-sight, which may be had by moving thehood 14 to theposition shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, where the rear edge of the hoodterminates substantially flush with the rear face of the sight-leaf 4.On the other hand, should an open sight be necessary the hood can beentirely removed from the guides 12, as shown in Fig. 4. As beforestated, this form of sight is designed for meeting the difi'erent visualre quirements in a general way; but for providing the shooter as hisdesire with various forms and a wide range of sight-pieces we have shownin Figs. 5 to 11 a modified sight which combines the sight hereindescribed and that shown in Figs. 8 to 13, inclusive, of our gun-sightpatented November 28, 1905, and numbered 805,771. The base 6 of themodified sight is slightly longer than that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, butit likewise has the depression 11, the guides 12, the centrallongitudinal recess 7, and the transverse opening 9. This base is placedabout the block 1 and suitably secured, as by the pin 10. However, inthis case, the leaf 4 is removed, as shown in Fig. 6. Substantially thesame hood 14 and spring-latch 16 are employed and notches 17 provided inthe hood to receive the point of the latch and lock the hood in its ringand globe positions. (Shown in full and dotted lines in Figs. 9 and 10.)Stop-plates 17 are mounted on the base at the rear ends of the guides 12to limit the rearward movement of the hood. Transversely of the base andslightly to the rear of the recess 7 a groove 18 is formed. A removableand reversible sight-piece 19 is adapted to fit in and completely fillthe groove 18, having its outer ends shaped to conform to the contour ofthe sides of the base 1 and provided with locking-recesses 20 extendingupward from its bottom. The recesses engage over a fixed pin 21 and alocking-plunger 22, inserted from the rear of the base. Thelocking-plunger is formed with a shoulder 23, which is adapted to engagewith a flat spring 24, mounted in the base when the plunger is Withdrawnto prevent its disengagement from the base. The spring 24 normallyengages in an annular recess 25 of the plunger to hold the same in itslocking position, as shown in Fig. 8. The sight-piece 19 is formed withlips 26, which aline with the guides 12. The sight-pieces may be formedwith different kinds of sight centers 27, in

which are included those adapted to become luminous or bright whenilluminated by a reflected light. In carrying out this latter feature areflector 28, which has its back concaved to fit the contour of therecess 11, so as to present no obstruction to the vision when foldeddown, is mounted upon the rear of the base. This reflector is pivotedbetween cars 28, projecting from the rear of the base and when foldeddown fits snugly in a recess 30, formed in the base. A short arm 31projects rearwardly from the reflector, which may be engaged by thefinger of the shooter to swing the same upward, while a rearwardcontinuation 32 of the spring 24 bears against the reflector to hold itin position. The flat face of the reflector is polished or coated with asuitable reflecting material, so as to readily refiect the light andilluminate the sight center 27 of the sight-piece 19. In this wayinterchangeable sight-pieces and means for reflecting light on thecenters thereof are provided, together with a movable hood adapted togive at pleasure a ring, globe, or open sight and in combination with abase adapted to readily fit about the block of an ordinary front sight,which latter is fixed on the gun.

It is obvious that either of the sights herein described may be readilydistributed among a large body of shooters and the latter individuallyfit their sights to their guns without the aid of a mechanic or thenecessity of sending them to the armory or shop, thereby providing eachshooter with a sight capable of variation to suit his own visualrequirements.

What we claim is 1. The combination with a gun-barrel and thepermanently-attached block of the front sight thereof, of a detachablebase having a recess adapted to receive the front sight and providedwith a longitudinally-cxtending de pression, and a hood movable on saidbase conforming to the contour of the depression to form therewith aglobe or ring.

2. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with a longitudinally-extendingdepression, a hood movable on said base conforming to the contour of thedepression to form therewith a globe or ring, and means for fasteningthe hood in position on the base.

3. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a centrallongitudinal recess adapted to re ceive the front sight and providedwith a longitudinally-extending concaved depres sion, and a hood movableon said base conforming to the contour of the depression to formtherewith a globe or ring.

4. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with a longitudinally-extendingdepression, a hood movable on said base conforming to the contour of thedepression to form therewith a globe or ring, and a springlatch adaptedto engage with the hood for holding the same in position.

5. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a longitudinalrecess adapted to receive the front sight and formed with guides and alongitudinally-extending depression, and a hood movable in said guideson the base and conforming to the contour of the depression to formtherewith a globe or ring.

6. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a centrallongitudinal recess adapted to receive the block of the front sight andprovided with a longitudinally-eXtending concaved depression, means forfastening the base on the block, and a hood movable on the base over thefront sight and conforming to the contour of the depression to formtherewith 'a globe or ring.

7. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base adapted to fit aboutthe front sight, a hood movable on the base, an interchangeablesight-piece supported on the base, and a reflector.

8. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base adapted to fit aboutthe front sight having guides and an interchangeable sight-piece, of ahood movable in said guides, and a reflector.

9. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base adapted to fit aboutthe front sight, a hood movable on the base, a hinged reflector, andmeans for holding the reflector in position.

10. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with guides, a hood slidable insaid guides, an interchangeable sight-piece, and spring-held means forlocking the sight-piece in position.

11. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with guides, a sight-piece, aslidable hood, and means arranged on the base for holding the hood inposition.

1 2. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attachedblock of the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recessadapted to receive the front sight, a removable adjustable hood, aninterchangeable sightpiece, and a reflector.

13. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight, a sight mounted on the base, and ahoodshorter than the base longitudinally and movable on the base so as tocover and uncover the sightpiece without being entirely removed from thebase. 1

14. The combination with a gun;barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with a concave depression andguides, an interchangeable sight-piece arranged on the base, a removablehood conforming to the contour of the depression and movable in saidguides, and means for holding the hood in position on the base.

15. The combination with a gun-barrel and the permanently-attached blockof the front sight thereof, of a detachable base having a recess adaptedto receive the front sight and provided with a concave depression, aninterchangeable sight arranged on the base and a movable hood conformingto the contour of the depression to form therewith a globe or rm I ntestimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JOHN Y. BASSELL.

FRED C. BLENKNER.

l/Vitnesses: JEssE SMITH,

SARA A. SoHLEY.

